Sigiriya – Dambulla – Kandy – Colombo – Airport
On the first day of your visit to wonderful Sri Lanka, we suggest you stay in the ancient Sigiriya region. Sigiriya Rock Fortress can be visited in the afternoon.
Sigiriya or Sinhagiri is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock approximately 180 m (590 ft) high.
According to the ancient Sri Lankan chronicle the Cūḷavaṃsa, this area was a large forest, then after storms and landslides, it became a hill and was selected by King Kashyapa (AD 477–495) for his new capital. He built his palace on top of this rock and decorated its sides with colorful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Sigiriya today is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. It is one of the best-preserved examples of ancient urban planning.
Next day after breakfast we will take you to visit Dabulla cave temple. Later, you can visit the Matale Spice Garden on the way to Kandy.
Dambulla cave temple also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site (1991) in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 kilometres (92 mi) east of Colombo, 72 kilometres (45 mi) north of Kandy and 43 km (27 mi) north of Matale.
Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha. The murals cover an area of 2,100 square metres (23,000 sq ft). Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon.
Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.
After breakfast, we will take you to Peradeniya Botanical Garden.
Peradeniya Botanical Garden, the most significant among the three main botanical gardens in Sri Lanka, lies in a spiral of the Mahaweli River and is 6 km west of Kandy. The history of this spectacular botanical garden dates back to the 14th century when Royalty ruled the central highlands of Sri Lanka, and It was the Royal Gardens from 1780 – 1798. At that time, it was used by Kandyan queens for their pleasure. In 1815 British took Kandy under their control, the garden as the Allied Forces Headquarters for the Asian region for a short spell during the Second World War. Then the garden was established in 1821, primarily to introduce coffee trees and various other tropical plants for economic and environmental development. Even after, in 1840, it was transformed into a botanical garden Under the directorship of George Henry Kendrick Thwaites, an eminent British botanist.
Then, while driving to Colombo, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage can be shown.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery, and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawala has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. In 2011, there were 96 elephants, including 43 males and 68 females from 3 generations, living in Pinnawala.
The orphanage was founded to care for and protect the many orphaned unweaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).
On 31 August 2021, a 25-year-old elephant named Surangi gave birth to twin male baby elephants at the orphanage. It also marked the first instance of the birth of twin elephants in Sri Lanka after a gap of 80 years since 1941.
Hoping you have enjoyed your trip, you will then be taken to the airport for your upcoming flight.
Map of the whole trip
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